Book description
When do you think the Second World War ended?
If the end of the war was supposed to have brought 'freedom' to
countries that suffered under Nazi occupation, then for millions it
did not really end until the fall of Communism. In the summer of 1945
many of the countries in Eastern Europe simply swapped the rule of one
tyrant, Adolf Hitler, for that of another: Joseph Stalin. Why this
happened has remained one of the most troubling questions of the
entire conflict, and is at the heart of Laurence Rees' dramatic book.
In World War II: Behind Closed Doors, Rees provides an
intimate 'behind the scenes' history of the West's dealings with
Joseph Stalin - an account which uses material only available since
the opening of archives in the East as well as new testimony from
witnesses from the period. An enthralling mix of high politics and the
often heart-rending personal experiences of those on the ground, it
will make you rethink what you believe about World War II.
Laurence Rees, the writer and producer of the major BBC/PBS
television documentary series World War II: Behind Closed
Doors, previously won the British Book Award for History Book of
the Year in 2006 for his international bestseller Auschwitz: The
Nazis and the 'Final Solution'.
His career as a writer and filmmaker, focusing on the Nazis and
World War II, stretched back nearly 20 years and includes the
acclaimed television series (and books) The Nazis: A Warning from
History, War of the Century, Horror in the East and
Auschwitz: The Nazis and the 'Final Solution'. This body of
work has won him several awards, including a BAFTA and a Grierson
Award. Their Darkest Hour, his powerful collection of essays
based on interviews with people tested to the extreme during World War
II, was published in 2007 to wide critical acclaim.
Rees was educated at Solihull School and Oxford University and is
the former Creative Director of BBC TV History programmes.
